Valiant
by TwilightsMyPassion
Summary: Edward and Bella are closer than Shaggy and Scooby. They're inseparable, interlocked. That is, until Bella disappears after a Friday night party. And when everyone's given up, will Edward be the only one valiant enough to find her? What happens when an unknown man sends him a letter? You'll laugh, cry and hopefully hang on until the end. Rated M for violence, language, and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone. Oh yes, feel free to yell at me for starting another story while I'm trying to write two. I know, I'm a loon.**

**I'll update when I can...**

**This will be one heck of a ride.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.**

* * *

**(Edward POV)**

I stretch and slowly open my eyes, letting the light casting in through my windows blind me momentarily. Carefully, so I don't get a damn headrush since I hate those buggers, I sit up and look around my room. My eyes zero in on the picture hanging beside my flat screen. Yeah, so what, I'm a guy and I have a framed photograph in my room. No, it's not of a truck, or of some girl in a bikini. It's of something far, far better.

Bella.

And, well me. But mostly her.

I smile looking at the picture. My arms around her shoulders and she casually leans against me. The sun is shining making her hair have that lovely reddish tint to it, and making my look even more bronze. Her long hair sweeps past her shoulders in loose curls that I recall tangling my fingers in on rare occasions.

We're both wearing shorts; mine are khakis and hers are jean. I'm wearing a deep grey t-shirt with a hole at the bottom while Bella wears a blue laced tank top.

Bella, being Bella Swan, being my best friend, and - quite embarrassingly I must say - the only girl I've ever really crushed on this hard. I mean, it's been... well since I was fourteen and started puberty until now. I'm turning eighteen in a couple months. Yeah, that's how deep I'm in.

Of course she doesn't know. It'd be a complete idiot to ruin our friendship like that, would I not? I keep telling myself it's just a crush, but when I see her in person, I know it's more. The fact that I couldn't stand Seth Clearwater taking her to homecoming just adds to it all. But that night has come and gone.

Anyways, where should I start? From the beginning?

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Note the sarcasm.

Bella and I were kind of 'joined at the hip' since second grade. First grade I was too shy to talk to anyone, but when Bella transferred to Thomas Elementary, she walked right over and kissed me on the cheek the very first day she came to class. That's all that happened during first grade and by second grade, I had to step up.

It was at recess on the first day of second grade. I don't remember it crystal clear, but I remember enough.

_"Hi." I walk over to her at the sand pit during recess. She's sitting all alone on her bum with toying in the sand with a stick._

_"Hello." She doesn't look up. I think I see her cheeks go a little red though._

_"Bella," I sit beside her. "How're you likin' second grade?"_

_She just shrugs._

_"Do you like this school?"_

_Another shrug from her._

_I huff and narrow my already bushy eyebrows. Second grade and I already have catipillars living on my forehead. Yuck. "Where is your friends?" I lost a tooth recently, making me sound like a wimp as I spoke and my lisp was even more noticeable._

_"I don't know." She drops the stick, but still doesn't look at me. "I don't have many."_

_I lift my chin up high. " I can be your friend!"_

_She looks over at me. "Okay?"_

_"Okay." I grab the stick she dropped. "You kissed me las' year."_

_Her eyes widen, I can tell by looking at the side of her face. "Sorry." She mutters._

_"I don't care. I just hoped you woulda talked to me after that."_

Okay, so it's a slow story and I won't go into too much detail. You get the point. We became 'two peas in a pod' or 'Batman and Robin' whatever termology you want to use. The town, Forks, was small and the schools didn't have that many students. You knew everyone and everyone knew you.

Everyone knew Bella and I were closer than Shaggy and Scooby. It's just how we always were and always will be.

But when it came to the point where I couldn't really stand her being out of my prescene and worrying that in the near future she'll just be gone, I knew that I was looking at her a little different than I would Scooby.

By the time my eighteenth birthday rolls around I want to make some sort of move. I want to see if she's interested. My brother, Emmett, always nudges me to approach her directly. He seems to think he's my fairy Godmother sometimes.

The thought alone makes me shudder.

But I will, I made a bet with him and with myself. By my eighteenth birthday...

I suck in air greedily just thinking about it. The nerves flow through me like waves. I almost laugh to myself at how ridiculous I am being. Bella and I are... inseparable, I'm being an idiot. I can tell her, I know I can.

As Shakespeare said, "Boldness be my friend." Well, I sure hope Will is fine with Boldness being a mutual friend of ours.

I roll out of bed, and when I say roll, I literally mean roll. Off the bed and onto my hands and knees, I'm suddenly on the floor.

Like a damn cat.

Me-fucking-ow.

I get up and stand straight, walking over to the mirror. I only wear boxers to bed because adding another article of clothing just seems to goddamn tricky. It's not like anyone see's me past eleven at night anyways. I'm not a partier.

Speaking of parties, last night Newton hosted a big get together. To sum it up, he has a huge ass house with a huge ass pool all because his parents have a huge ass wallet. Now, I don't know what possessed Bella to go, but she went. I decided to stay home and finish my bio project due next week. I started it last night.

I procrastinate, but you probably knew that since I've been having this 'hunk of burning love' obsession with my best friend for the past... three years?

I wonder what time she came in from the party. She said she'd be no longer than eleven in case I wanted to call her. We usually text every night and it's not the same if we don't. I texted her though, at ten forty-five and I never got a reply. I woke up at one in the morning, then two, then four thirty to check if I ever got a reply and I didn't.

So, just like my usual Saturday mornings, I'm going to her house with a earl grey tea with two sugars and a scone on the side. Just how she likes it. I prefer a black coffee and a blueberry muffin, but hey, we're all different.

I get changed as quick as I can in my half asleep mode and toss my hair around to try to make it neat. No prevail. I run down stairs, grab my keys and wallet, kiss my mom's cheek goodbye and rush to my sweet, sweet Volvo.

"Hello precious." I murmur as I place the keys in the ignition.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, chapter one is finished. Are you sticking with me? Please do.**

**Leave a review? Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**(Edward POV)**

I think everyone has that one person that they look up to. That one person who may be real or fake, dead or alive, rich or poor, that inspires you in some way. Well, my guy is Shakespeare. I know, laugh all you want. The guy had a way with words.

It's my mom's fault. She raised me surrounded by his plays, sonnets, and quotes. She has this slight obsession with him. I was twelve when I first read A Midsummer Night's Dream and after that I just kind of followed the guy. His quotes - if you can comprehend them - have meaning and purpose. They explain a lot, especially when I'm at a loss for words.

Plus, I'm sure he was good with the ladies.

I have to admit, Sonnet 145, the poem he wrote for his new wife Anne Hathaway (no, not the celebirity) is my favourite. Don't ask me why because I can't tell you. I don't know why I do myself, but I do.

So as I pull out of the coffee shop's parking lot and head over to Bella's, I recite the sonnet in my head a few times to get me motived for the day. I hope she's alright with me coming over. She didn't text me back last night and I'm guessing it's because she came home exhausted and went straight to bed. She'd never purposely ignore me, right? No. No she wouldn't.

Two months. That's how long I have until my times up to tell Bella. Really, I could tell her whenever but I want to win this bet. For me, for Bella, for the sake of winning. It's to the point where I can't handle holding it in anymore. I might just burst!

Perhaps I can take a Sheakespeare route when approaching Bella. I could say, "Go to you bosom: Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know."

Bella knows I have this thing for plays, quotes, poems, Shakespeare. She might find it... cute? No, I don't want to be cute. I just want to know if she feels the same way. And if in some miraculous way she does, then we'll take it from there.

A hint of a smile covers my features and I turn the corner onto her street. A half a minute later I'm in her driveway. I'm relieved momentarily to see her truck is parked in its usual spot on the cement driveway, but that relief disappears as I remember she went to the party with Angela. My sister Alice went to the party but came home late and is still sleeping.

Alice and I are faternal twins. Trust me, we look nothing alike. She's a pixie, a fairy, a short girl with spiked hair. Whatever, you get the point. She's spent the last two years of her life trying to persuade Bella and I to 'stop being so blind and see that we're perfect for each other'. It's embarrassing, since Alice knows without me even telling her, how I feel about Bella. She tells me that Bella feels the same way and when I ask how she knows she simply responds, 'I can tell'.

I roll my eyes. Her and Emmett are persistant. It's kind of sweet, in the stale candy kind of way.

It's when I get out of the car I can feel the brisk April air. It's almost stale and feels different than usual. It's almost as though I can feel something is up. I hate the knot feeling I get in my stomach, but proceed to grab the two cups of hot drinks and use my teeth to hold the paper bag of sweets. I kick the door shut with my left knee and walk up to the front door. The second step leading up to the porch still squeaks as it does whenever I place my foot on it and the sound gives me some sort of comfort. At least something is normal around here. I don't hear ruckus beyond the door like I usually do on Saturday mornings. Bella's usually cooking scrambled eggs and making Charlie some coffee because he refuses coffee shop coffee insisting it takes 'icky'.

I calm myself by saying Bella had a late night and all is well apart from the potential headache she'll be facing when she gets up. I ring the doorbell with my nose even though I know I'm welcome in the house. I just don't think I'm capable to open the door knob myself. I'm no waitor, I can't balance all this shit on my pinkie.

Geez.

I hear slumping and Charlie clear his throat as he answers the door. He looks tired and his mustache isn't it's usual fluffy. It looks more gray then black and I notice the deep lines around his mouth. He steps aside and I walk in, setting my armful of goodness down on the coffee table before facing him.

I try to use a light tone and make conversation, "How late did she get in?" I chuckle hoarsely. Charlie and I get along; this isn't us. He usually answers the door and greets me with some wit as Bella barrels towards the door to grab her earl grey tea. She'll give me a kiss on the cheek or a one-armed hug before walking me into the kitchen.

"Pretty late seeing as she isn't home yet." Charlie grumbles. "Didn't get a wink of sleep. I was waitin' for her, hopin' she was with you even though you didn't go."

I take a step back like a blow to the chest. "She never came home?"

"No, Angela didn't drop her off. Angela called though..."

"What did she have to say?" I demand urgently. "Where is Bella?"

Charlie moves to sit on the recliner and squeezes his eyes shut. "She called just before you arrived, kid. Apparently Bells got pissy at Newton like usual and just left. Walked out. She told Angela she needed fresh air and was gonna get someone to drive her home early. Angela thought nothing of it, but when she called this mornin' to make sure Bells made it home safely..."

I sit my ass on the edge of the coffee table. "You're shitting me. This is one big joke." I place my head in my hands. "She's fine, she's fine."

"She wouldn't just leave. I know my daughter, you know her." Charlie's voice breaks. "I've got to go to the office and report this. I can't spend another second-" Charlie cuts himself off with a sniff and gets up to walk over to the coat hook. He grabs his belt and gun before turning to face me dingling his keys before me. "You comin'?"

"Of course." I reply in a monotone. I don't feel my movements as I get up and follow Charlie out the door.

I notice the air is still stale.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! :o**

**(Edward POV)**

I wring my fingers sitting outside Charlie's office. Every few minutes his voice raises as he argues over the phone with Officer Duke in the next town, Spoons. Fuck. I pull at my hair. Bella, why are you so damn ridiculous. Leave it to you, darlin' to just leave a party at night.

She could be anywhere. Forks is 80% forest. I called Angela a half hour ago and she said Bella didn't drink anything, but seemed really upset and acted uncomfortable. Angela cried the whole phone conversation, but I got the gist of it.

Bella never returned home.

What if something happened? What if some drunk loon...

Or if Newton followed her?

What if she got lost in the woods?

What if she fell?

What if she got hurt? Murdered?

No. I shake my head. No, no, no, no. Fucking no.

Give thy thoughts no tongue.

Like any Shakespeare quote could save me now. I bite my tongue as my eyes start to sting.

Bella...

_"Bella, you have icing on your nose!" I exclaim as she takes another bite of her cupcake. It's Emmett's eighteenth birthday and sixteen year olds, Bella and I are celebrating over his birthday cupcakes._

_"I do not." She laughs and smiles at me._

_I lean forward as though I'm whispering something into her ear. She leans towards me, our faces inches apart waiting to hear what I have to say._

_"Yes. You. Do." I smoosh the cupcake onto her face, most of the icing going all over her nose. She squeals against me and growls femininely when I pull back and take a bite of what's left of the cupcake. I smirk._

_She narrows her eyes at me and leaps over to me. I dodge her hand with the cupcake as she tries to smear the icing onto my face. My reflexes are a bit too quick for her as I catch her wrists. "Pardon me?" I ask politely and innocently._

_She pouts. "That's not fair."_

_I stare at her for a moment._

_"You have icing on your nose." I repeat with a crooked grin._

_"I know, it tickles." She replies with another pout. I laugh and lean into her, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose, getting the icing off. I think it's my just imagination, but I swear I feel her lean against me and press herself closer._

Charlie pops out of his office making me jump in my seat. "Fuck sakes." I hiss.

"Sorry," He doesn't sound sincere but I nod in somewhat appreciation. "Come on." Charlie tosses me my sweater.

"Where're we going?" I ask and slide my arms into the sleeves and zip myself up.

"Searchin' for her. On the local news, on the radio station, the next two is notified. We better get out there. Ten hours until twilight."

I follow Charlie out the door trying to stop wetness from swarming into my eyes.

...

I heave myself over another fallen over tree. A bug is trying to eat me I think. I shift my weight onto my right side as I swear I sprained my left foot earlier on some uneven ground. It's eleven at night, far past nightfall but half the town is still out looking for her. My sister, brother, and parents are behind me. Out of all the forests, only half are being searched tonight. I've been at this for the past twelve hours or so and there is no success. I'm the only one who isn't screaming her name or crying worthless tears.

I'm trying to stay strong.

What'll a damn tear do?

I don't know, but I guess it's how women cope. Even Charlie shed a few, but I won't. I refuse.

"Bella." Her name bubbles from my lips. Again, I'm thinking of the worst what ifs. This isn't good and everyone knows it. But we keep searching.

It's all we can do.

...

I spent the next week searching every forest, asking every person, and even beating the shit out of Newton to try and help find her. Newton said dick all, only that they fought over him apparently being an ass then she left. No one saw her leave, no one gave her a ride. She never asked. No one noticed anything else unusual that night. Mike Newton was being his usual asshole-self so it made sense for Bella to get pissy at him.

But it made no sense for her to never return home. Bella isn't like that. She wouldn't just leave. She wouldn't keep anyone. She wouldn't leave me. I know she shouldn't. We're bound together.

She's my other half; we just fit together, ya know?

And if I don't get her back...

I shake my head at the very thought.

The search team gets smaller and smaller with each passing day.

Three weeks later it's just my family and Bella's. Bella's family consisting of Charlie, her grandparents and her Aunt Rose. No one else.

Another week passes, making it a month. We still get a small ad in the papers and posters are on telephone poles. Everyone has heard the story, everyone has seen the poster. Even Charlie stops searching, instead he stays in his office all day and night looking for tips, putting out rewards.

Every night I walk the trail Bella and I would walk together since we became teenagers. Every night a new memory hits me.

_"I don't know much," Bella admits. "The future kind of scares me."_

_I catch her before she stumbles over a twig buried within the ground. "Me too, I admit. I don't know what I want exactly."_

_"I want to stay with you." She smiles at me. "It just seems right."_

_I nod. It does seem right. Being together. Even a little bit of distance causes a rift. It physically hurts. No one'll believe us since we're only fifteen but it's true. We both know it._

_"A brick out with a white picket fence and fresh cut grass. Flowers and barbecues, friendly neighbors. That's what I want." She jumps over another stump and walks to the stream's edge. "And you."_

_"Well I'm not going anywhere." I promise as I sit on the large rock beside a tree looking at the stream. Bella sits beside me and rests her shoulder on my head._

_"Good."_

_"You won't leave me either, right?" I ask hopelessly._

_"Never." She vows and pats my chest, right on my heart._

"But you did leave me." I whisper as I sit on the very same rock, except this time I'm alone.

And for the first time since she's disappeared, I hang my head and let myself cry.

* * *

**A/N: Where are those goddamn tissues? *Sniff***

**Please leave a review? Thanks :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(Edward POV)**

"Edward, it's been two months! Get a grip." Tears stream down my mother's face. "You're making it harder than it has to be. She's gone. We've searched, we all have. It's time to let go."

"Two months with no prevail and now everyone's giving up?" I scream back. "Even Charlie has given up!"

"Edward, even if we find her it won't be her life. Just her body-"

"Enough!" I yell as loud as I can. I don't care if Emmett and Alice are peering over the stair rail at me. I don't care. "Don't you care enough?"

My mother dabs her eyes. "We all do. It's like losing a child for me, Edward! But, we've tried..."

"Not enough." I shook my head. "Not even close."

"When will it be enough? Another two months and no more evidence?" My mother demands with a hoarse voice. Her eyes are redder and even more blotchy.

"No. Not until we find her." I hang my head and look at my socked feet. "I won't give up."

"I know you were the closest to her. It'll be the hardest on you, but you have to face what's real."

"I'm leaving." I snap my head up. "I'll find her."

"Edward," My mother pleads and walks towards me. I take a step back and hold my hands up.

"Don't." I insist.

"You won't find her."

"Not in this town, I won't. I'll look everywhere. She's alive, somewhere. I know she is." I plead.

"No, you're my son and I won't let you leave! I won't lose another! I will not let you risk your life for someone-"

I snap. "Someone? That's all she is now? Bella," The name rasps against my throat. "Is worth more. It's not worth living if I can't be around her. I'd rather be dead than continue as though she never existed. She's out there somewhere and she needs me."

Esme, my mother, blinks at me.

"I love her mom." My voice cracks and I crave in. I'm wrapped in a motherly hug and I hang on for dear life. "I have to find her."

"Not now. Not now." My mother pats my back.

"Before it's too late." I sob. "I can, I will, there'll-"

"Shh. Come on, let's get you to bed. It's alright my son."

Somehow, she gets me to bed. I don't sleep though.

...

It's past midnight now. I get up and pace my room. My eyes hurt, my head hurts, even my hands hurt. Most though? My insides, my heart, my brain. I can't take it. It's been two months. I'm eighteen in a few days.

In a few days I can leave and look for her. I can and I will.

But why not now? I'm wasting precious time. Who knows how much time is left? Is there time left? There must be, I know. I can tell. I'd know if she wasn't... if she...

Something is smooth under my bare feet. I look down.

Paper.

An envelope I didn't notice before.

Directed to me.

I bend down and pick it up. I walk over to the window and let the bright moonlight work as a lamp for me.

In all capital letters is my name, just my name. Edward Cullen.

Hand delivered. I look at my open window. Did somebody sneak in? They must of. But who?

Without further a due, I rip open the envelope with my teeth and pull out the small question card inside it.

In bold, all capital letters is written:

**THE WHOLE TOWN HAS GIVEN UP SEARCHING FOR HER BUT HAVE YOU?**

My eyes scan over the small card once, twice, a third time, and even a fourth. I turn to face the window and stick my head outside letting the cool hair fill my lungs. I look around; I don't see anyone. When was this letter dropped off? Within the past twelve hours.

It isn't from anyone, and there's no return address.

There's nothing but my name and the card.

I walk the few steps over to the envelope and pick it up. I flip it in my hands a few times and on the third flip I notice something I must have been blind to miss before.

A clue.

On the righthand corner was a little stamp.

One of a picture of a maple syrup bottle with Handover written in the smallest print. I have to squint to see it.

Handover. A town, six or seven hours away by car. That's where this letter was written.

That's where she is.

"Fuck a few days." I mutter as I get my overnight bag prepared. "Hang on, Bella. Not much longer."

* * *

**A/N: I love maple syrup...**

**And reviews. So will you please leave me one? Thanks :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Edward POV)**

It takes me all of five minutes to get my shit together. It takes another five to use the side of the house to help me down my window and to the ground. Why not use the front door? Well a) I'm trying to be sneaky for I want **no one **to know I'm leaving and b) it makes this seem more like a mission. Walking straight out the front door would be rather… unimportant.

I am odd.

The letter is burning a hole in my back pocket. I keep seeing the bold print behind my eyes. Bella Swan is still alive. She is, I know she is. I can feel it. I would know if she wasn't. She's a strong young woman and she wouldn't back down without a fight. But would she have to fight? Is she all right or hurt?

I swallow the thoughts as I toss the overnight bag over my one shoulder and take a very deep breath. With one last glance at the two-story home I grew up in, I turn and walk off into the forest that's right beside my path.

The pathway to Bella…

And then I stop, turn and smack my forehead.

I'm driving, I'm not one of the seven dwarves, and I am most certainly not walking. Hell, it'd take me days to get to her and who knows if she'd even be in Handover.

No, I will get to her.

…

It's night with no traffic. I swear I'm the only one on the road throughout the whole journey. So I drive fast. Cullen fast. The trees zoom past me as dark, black blurbs as I fly past them. Thank the Lord above for my Volvo. My sweet, sweet Volvo.

…

It hits me again. I'm crazy; I have been crazy for the past fifteen days.

She's gone.

I'll have moments where I'm laughing, ridiculous, and completely insane. Hysterical. That's a good way to describe me.

And then it'll hit me again. Right smack in the middle of my chest like a boulder, and I'll break down. I never know how long it takes me to recover.

I have to pull my car over halfway through the journey. It's nearly four in the morning. I pull over on the shoulder of the road. The trees are no longer dark, black, blobs, but dark, tall shadows instead. I let my head fall to the steering wheel and a keening noise escapes me.

I sob.

Dry sobs.

Then my eyes fill with moisture.

And then the moisture falls down my cheeks. Onto my chin and it almost tickles. In the end, the oval shaped saline drop falls onto my jeans.

We're by the lake and the moon is out along with the stars trailing along behind and around it. It's kind of romantic if we were more than friends. But since we aren't more than friends, it's casual. It's us. Sitting on an old worn out blanket under the stars with the crickets singing their song and a toad croaking every so often.

"_I tried to count the stars once." Bella laughs softly. She moves her head to my lap. We both notice the gesture and its intimacy but neither of us speaks up. For us, we aren't a couple but at times I swear we act like it._

_I remember when we started high school every single student – and even a few teachers – thought we were a couple. An item. Dating. _

_I wish._

"_Oh yeah?" I ask and she nods against my lap, her face gazing at the stars. They illuminate a soft glow in Bella's chocolate brown eyes and I find myself staring. "How far did you get?" I place my hands behind me on the ground for support and gaze up to the sky._

"_Not very far. Maybe a hundred, two if I'm pushing it." She shakes her head in disbelief. "I used to wish upon the stars too."_

"_Did any come true?" _

"_Well, I ended up meeting someone like you, so yes. I would say a few came true." I can feel her eyes on me, but I'm too shy to look down at her._

_And I almost tell her, in just a little whisper, that I dream of her too._

I'm sobbing harder. I feel weaker than weak, weaker than…

I huff.

"Sitting here's getting me no where." I scold myself. "T'is gonna be okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**(Edward POV)**

I get to Handover, check into a small, shitty motel and pass out on the bed, exhausted. I have to find, Bella. I have to find her. But physically, my body won't allow me to do anything else. It's frustrating.

When I wake, it's shortly after noon and I roll over to stretch. The letter is glued to my brain; I can't stop thinking about it. I know it was sent from here, but where? It's a small town, but when you're looking for one person and you have no idea where she could be; it seems like a city. Thank God it isn't.

I keep my cell phone turned off even though I'm sure that my parents have called realizing that I left. Yeah, too fucking bad. I can't believe they'd give up looking for her like that. She's the only thing on my mind. Always.

Bella.

I sit up and walk to the window looking outside. It's sunny out and I'm sure it's warm. It'd be the perfect day for Bella and I to go out canoeing.

I sigh.

Time to start looking, I guess. But where?

…

By midnight I've searched half the town, if not more. Everyone has heard about the 'napping, but no one saw her. I didn't expect her to be able to walk around town though. She's hiding, she… Oh God, where is she?

I'm surprised I have any hair left; I tug at it constantly.

It's nearly one in the fucking morning and I'm still driving around like a maniac. I'm now on the out skirts of Handover, the country dirt roads where all I'm seeing is trees and the occasional night animal.

I'm slowly going insane. Or have I already lost it? I wonder how my parents are coping now that I'm gone. But I'd be considered a run away…

I'm so lost in my thoughts I don't even see that I am about to run into something until a moment before. I slam the brakes and in the headlights in the night I can see the shadowy shape of a woman.

Messy dark hair, cowering. The height is about five foot two and the girl looks fairly skinny. The shadow could replicate Bella.

Then it hits me. "Holy fuck!" I shout and undo my seatbelt with shaky hands and reach for the car door. I open it and leave it hanging open, not caring that my car is parked in the middle of an old country road. It's not as though someone will drive down here at one in the morning. I doubt hardly any people drive down here at one in the afternoon.

Either way, it doesn't matter. It could be a goddamn highway and I'd still be doing this.

I don't trust my legs, but they carry me to my destination. I'm not standing in front of the woman in my car headlights and I can make her out.

"Bella," I exhale in relief but worry all mixed in one.

"Edward?" She looks up to me and her eyes widen. We're a foot apart and I can feel the electricity running between us. It's oddly comforting and familiar. I'm pleased by it. I reach forward and twist a small stick out of her hair.

"It's me, Bella. I've found you." I tell her. My thoughts are clearly not working right and the first words that come out of my mouth aren't even thought out but they make sense. "I'm sorry I almost hit you."

I smack myself in the forehead, but she laughs. She steps forward and hesitantly wraps her arms around me. "Edward," She murmurs pressing her face into my chest. "Thank you for almost hitting me."

* * *

**A/N: Aw... play the song reunited, someone please do that!**

**Review? Thank you kindly!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(Edward POV)**

"We have to get in the car." Bella says suddenly.

"What?" I ask and swat a mosquito away. She shakes her head but runs around to get into the passenger side all while yelling at me to join her.

"Come on, come on, come on." She recites again and again. When I finally get into the car she locks the doors and tells me to hit the gas. "Hurry, hurry."

"Bella?" I ask, but press down on the gas.

"I'll explain later, right now just get the fuck away from here!" She says and pulls her knees to her chest. She fixes her seatbelt as I continue to drive the twists and bends on these old dirt roads.

"You're alive." I mutter more to myself than her.

"Yeah." She says in a hushed tone. "For now."

That's all we say for another hour.

"Okay, I don't know where I am." I yawn after I speak and pull over on a dirt road. We passed through two towns, but are back in the country.

"We're far enough now." Bella nods to herself and turns to face me, undoing her seatbelt. "I don't know where we are either."

"Can you… tell me what happened?" I ask her softly and reach forward to cup her cheek. I need contact; I need to touch her, to feel her, to know this is real and not some sick joke. She's alive and she's here with me.

"I went to that party, Edward." She leans into my touch. "I shouldn't have. We should have had a movie night."

"We can when we get back." I promise her.

"No, no, no!" Bella suddenly shouts and sits upright. "I can't go back, Edward." Tears are forming in her eyes.

"Why not?" I ask carefully. My hand fell from her face when she sat upright and is now resting on her knee. I squeeze it trying to comfort her. "Bella?"

"He said… when I ran off he yelled after me when he knew he couldn't keep up."

"Who? What did he say?" I hate dropping all these questions on her, but I must know to understand.

"I don't know who. He had a mask on. But he said to me that if I go back he'll find me or his buddies will. He said he'd hurt me. I just don't know-"

"Nobody will hurt you." I tell her with force. She quivers into the seat and it breaks me just to see her looking so desperate.

"Can't you see? He knows where I live. He threatened my family too. He has friends. I don't even know him. The police wouldn't catch him. And if I went back-" She breaks off to sob.

"It's okay, it's okay. We won't go back until we know it's safe." I assure her.

"You can't do this, Edward." Bella whispers there tears and lets out a hiccup.

"Do what?"

"You're safe. You can't leave behind everything. Edward, I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back." I think she repeats my name in each sentence to realize I'm here, just like what I'm doing by touching her. I softly stroke her kneecap.

"Bella, I lost everything when you were taken." I tell her honestly and I am surprised by the intensity of my emotions and words. "I'm staying with you whether you like it or not."

"Oh Edward!" She starts to cry. She climbs over to me and hugs herself to me. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight to me. I press my face into her hair and breathe in deeply.

I don't know how long we stay in this position, but she eventually stops sobbing and I hear her soft breaths telling me that she's asleep. I don't dare let go; instead, I get comfortable in the drivers seat, turn the car off and reach behind me for the old afghan in the back seat.


	8. Chapter 8

**(Edward POV)**

In my mind, my dad's kind of a psychopath. I don't necessarily blame him though; he's a doctor and deals with death pretty much everyday. Lives are placed on his hands and sometimes there's nothing he can do. He told me once that he feels guilt whenever he loses a patient, that every time he sees or hears a heart monitor draw a straight line, it cuts a line through his own heart. I don't know how he does it.

He grew up with an alcoholic dad and a caring mother. All he life he strived for his dad's attention, which he never got. I know that's taken its toll on him. He thinks about it everyday.

But that's not the only reasons why I think my dad's a little… well… not there. He collects guns, knives, and our medicine cabinet is filled with drugs prescribed for him. The medicine cabinet is really more like a safe hiding in our bathroom. He has a lock on it and he thinks neither Alice or I have ever been in there. Hell, I think he'd be surprised if mum went in there.

I'd be surprised too, seeing that she usually keeps to herself.

I broke into it once, once summer. I was only fourteen, but I noticed how frequent my dad had to take a piss and something was fishy. No, not the damn smell for my dad hates salmon and we hardly have asparagus, but he's attitude. He'd go at the weirdest times, when no one was really around.

Now I didn't know whether he had some sort of bladder infection from having to hold his piss all the time at work, or if it was something else. I went with the latter. So one day in the summer when I was finally allowed to be home alone while my dad worked and my mum went uptown, I snuck into the bathroom and opened it. How? Of course I spied and spied until I saw him open it enough times that I got the combination. Actually, I won't lie to ya, I wasn't a good spy and that didn't work. What happened was I got lucky one day when I was in the library and pulled out an old book on Genesis and a piece of paper with the combination slipped out.

Hmm. Maybe that sounds more like detective/spy work than cracking the lock. Anyways, I broke in and found all the pill bottles. Most of them were anti-depressants.

When I turned sixteen I still had the same questions reeling in my head about my father, the man I really didn't know, but lived with. I eventually got the guts to ask my mother what was up.

She admitted he was on anti-depressants but played it off coolly saying it was because of his stressful job and not-so-wonderful childhood. That could be the case. But all those bottles in the cabinet?

I just couldn't swallow the lies she was shoving down my throat. Internally, I got pissed at her for lying, until it hit me; maybe that's all she knows. Maybe that's what dad tells her.

Then I got even more confused. I mostly ignored my dad throughout my life, but there were occasions where he'd be talking on the phone to someone and get mad. Like really mad. Every Sunday he went to church. Alone. He didn't want the rest of the family coming.

Then back to the knives and guns, he collects them and keeps them in his office. Claims there his 'showcase' items. He told me he always had a fascination with them.

All this led me to believe he's just not all there.

Now you're probably wondering why I'm talking all about my dad when I should be thinking and worrying about Bella. You are, aren't you?

The thing is, Bella woke up really late into the night (or really early in the morning, whichever you prefer) and woke me up with her sobbing. I held her, let her cry and blubber. But her blubbering was words. She was trying to describe to me the man that took her.

She mentioned handguns, knives, pill bottles and a man in a mask. I knew it couldn't be my father since he's been with the family for the past… ever. It's just the way described the man made me think of my dad. And I didn't like that. Not one bit.

There's something that was worse though, something that I hated even more than the man she described. It's what he told her.

I wipe a final tear from Bella's cheek and she leans her head against my shoulder. I wish we were somewhere rather than the front seat of my Volvo, but there really was nowhere close rather than a bunch of forest. Neither of us complains, though I'm sure she's thinking something similar.

"_Bella." I murmur into the darkness. "I'm so sorry."_

"_For what?" She mutters back in a hoarse tone._

_I pull her closer and press my lips into her hair. "Everything. You never deserved-"_

_She silences me by shaking her head against my skin. "Can't change anything, superman. But you really should leave."_

"_You're crazy." I tell her._

_She stiffens and sits up straighter. My arms slacken around her. "This isn't a joke, Edward." _

"_I'm being serious. You're crazy if you think I'm going anywhere. Anywhere without you."_

"_This is dangerous."_

"_What is?" I demand. "You being out there alone is!"_

"_We can't, ugh!" And I think she's about to cry again._

"_Bella?" I ask using a soft voice again. I reach out in the darkness and cup her cheek. It's not pitch black since the moon and starts provide light, but I can't make out too much._

_She turns her face into my palm. "He told me he had to take me away from you."_

That's all she told me he said and he couldn't say anything else… He'd smack her if she asked why.

He just said that's what his job was.


End file.
